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sewage contamination, by calling for Legislation to prevent the
laying down of all edible forms of shell-fish in sewage-polluted
creeks, or other dangerous localities; and asking that all layings,
gathering beds, storage beds, &c. (at present in use and known to
be polluted) should be protected by law from pollution, either by
any person or by a Sanitary Authority.
The question of watercress being a carrier of Typhoid germs
has been raised during 1903 in connection with an outbreak of
the disease during June to August in the Hackney Borough, and
the Lambeth Borough Council has, in consequence, asked the
Local Government Board to make an enquiry as to the sources
of watercress supplied to the Metropolis in relation to the possibility
of this article causing disease. It will be remembered that
an outbreak of typhoid in Lambeth during 1894 was traced to the
consumption of typhoid-infected watercress (vide Annual Report,
1894, pp. 4-36).
90 samples of blood were examined at the Bacteriological
Laboratory during 1903 (see p. 186) for the Widal reaction of
Typhoid, and in 24 cases (i.e., 26.7 per cent.) such reaction was
obtained. As Typhoid Fever in a District is a sanitary index,
the Borough of Lambeth may be congratulated as far as the
year 1903 is concerned.
In London during 1903 there were registered 387 deaths
(uncorrected) out of a total of 2,337 cases of Typhoid notified,
giving an uncorrected case-mortality of 16.6 per cent.
CONTINUED AND TYPHUS FEVERS.
During 1903, 7 cases of Continued Fever were notified in
the Borough of Lambeth, and one death was registered, as compared
with yearly averages for 10 years (1891-1900) in the
Parish of Lambeth of 25.7 and 2.2 respectively. The case-